Pleasant Point man gets jail for burglary spree

MACHIAS, Maine — A Pleasant Point man will serve six months in jail in connection with a string of break-ins earlier this year.

Nicholas Newell, 19, appeared Monday for sentencing in Washington County Superior Court.

First Assistant District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh said Tuesday that Justice E. Allen Hunter sentenced Newell to three years, with all but six months suspended and two years probation, for stealing firearms from a local gun shop.

Newell also was sentenced to six months concurrent on three burglary charges and two months concurrent on some of the misdemeanor charges, Cavanaugh added.

The Pleasant Point man was ordered to pay more than $4,000 in restitution to the property owners.

Newell originally was indicted by a Washington County grand jury in May on five counts of theft by unauthorized taking, three counts of burglary, six counts of criminal mischief and four counts of criminal trespass.

Newell’s brush with the law began Jan. 20, when the owners of the Waco Diner in Eastport discovered that a side window had been smashed the night before.

Later that night, an alarm went off at Baycity Mobil on Route 190 in Eastport. Police found the front-door glass had been broken. Police investigated, but it appeared the alarm had scared off the perpetrator and nothing was taken.

While patrolling downtown Eastport shortly after midnight, police officers noticed footprints in the snow near the Moose Island General Store. While an officer was investigating the footprints, he heard a crash farther up the street. When he arrived at the back of the Waco Diner, he noticed the rear window had been broken.

Police then discovered the front door to Bank Square Pizza had been kicked in. It appeared nothing was taken from there.

While Eastport police were investigating those incidents, they learned that the alarm at Newcomb’s Gun and Saddle Shop in Perry had gone off. Maine State Police responded to that alarm. When the owner arrived, he discovered a store window had been smashed, a display case was broken into and three guns were taken.

The two agencies compared notes and traced the break-ins to Newell, who was arrested.

After sentencing, Newell was returned to the Washington County Jail to serve out the rest of his sentence.